Unit-door-control mechanism



H. ROWNTREE UNIT DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June 4, 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR '4!!! IIIIAIIIII ll! Dec. 15 1925- .H. ROWNTREEUNIT DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1921 A mww wwmPatented Dec. L5, 1925.

HAROLD owman. n 31 CHL'ISTIAN,.1\,I$,S.I$S;IRL A s endn o NATIONALPNEUMATIC c mmit, 0F. YORK,

GINIA.

animat r er WEST, .3?

Application'i'iled June 4 To (ill-10760772 zit-may 007106179111 Be it'k-nownthat I, Harem) ROWNTREE, a. citizen of; the United States,residing at. Pass Christian, county of Harrison, State of Mississippi.have made a certain new and useful invention in- Unit-Door-ControlMechanism, of" which the following is a specification. 1

Thisinvention relates to unit: door con;-. trol mechanism for street,railway and other car systems.

The object of the invention is to. provide a.v door operating andcontrol mechanism for street railway andother cars-which is. simple andeconomical to construct and install and: efficient in operation. r

A. further object is to provide an operat-. ing andcontrol mechanism ofthe nature' referred to, which, while capable-of. installa;

tion and! use upon. individual: street railway and other cars generally,is especially appliicable to trains'o f cars ratherthan to cars whichare operated singly.

A further object is to provide a. door operating and control mechanismwhich ell-cots power actuation of the doors towards closed position butwhich permits the doors to be individually operated manually towardsopen position. I V

A further object is to provide power actuatedmeans common to a pluralityof doors to cl'lect the closure actuation of the doors but which permitsany individual door to be disconnected from its power actuating means incase the door, in closing, encounters an obstruction to its closingmovement, or in case it is desired: to move the door towards its openposition, and wherein, in addition, the door is again connected to itspower actuating means when the obstruction has been removed.

It is also among the objects and purposes of my invention to include thedoor lockingand the signalling means, and the means to disconnect thedoorsfr'oin'their actuating mechanism, with an operating and controlling system set forth.

Other objects of the invention will appear more tully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially inthe construction,combination,location andvrelatire arrangement oiparts, all as W111. be

' line 3, 35,,

1921. Serial N10, 475,139.

more fully hereinafter'set forth, as shown in the: accompanylngdrawings, and finally 3 is abroken view in section on the: F g; 2-,looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 1s a similar View on, the line 4, 4,-

Fig. 2, looking; in; the direction of the view in side elevation,

l lig. 5 is a broken detail view showing a i door loclr and signalcontrol arrangement employed in connection with my invention.

Fig, 6 is a view in elevation of a modificationoffthe doorcontrolapparatus.

The: same part is designated by'the same- "reference numeral wherever itthroughoutthe several views.

. occurs According- 120 the practice now most gen- 1 eral l y followedin train door-operation a separate operating motor is provided for eachdoor on each ear, and, sometimes, separate door opening and closingmotors are employed for each door, each door operating'mo-tor havingitsown control mechanism. This practice involves a very great installat onand equipment expense, not only int-he construction and equipment of newcars but converting old: cars. When the art advanced to multiple. unitcontrol of the door operations the'desired multiple unit controlwasaccomplished by methods or control of the door operatingmotors, stillretaining the feature of; a separate door actuatingmotor, or motors, foreach door.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide asingle motor for actuating all the. doors on both sides of each car, andineans cooperating with the motor actuated mechanism whereby anyindividual doormay be readilyand easily dis.- con-nected' fromthe motoractuated mecha- .mechanism that particular door may be easily andreadily moved by hand to open position. In other words, it iscontemplated by my invention that each door be opened individually bythe passengers, either from inside the car or from the outside orstation platform, and closed by power actuated mechanism, although inits broadest scope my invention is not to be limited or restricted inthis respect since it is evident that a reversible motor with suitablecontrol therefor might readily and easily be employed so as to securepower operation of the door for both its opening and closing movements.

In carrying out my invention I propose to provide a lock for lockingeach door in its closed position. One convenient arrangement foraccomplishing this is to employ magnet controlled locking detentsadapted to engage the doors when in their completely closed position andlock them in that position. When the lock controlling magnets areenergized the locking detents are released from looking position. It isproposed, in accordance with my invention, to control. the circuits ofall the lock magnets from the same. point or station, for instance, bymeans of switches located in the cab of the car or train motorman, Inpractice all the door lock magnets on each side of the car may beincluded in a single energizing circuit controlled by a single switch inthe motormans cab. I also propose to employ a signal circuit whichincludes switches controlled by the various door lock magnets, whereby,when all the. doors throughout the system are closed and locked, and notuntil then, the signal circuit is completed thereby indicating to themotorman that it is safe to start the train. If desired, and in a mannernow well understood in the art, the completion of the signal circuit maybe utilized to unlock or release or permit the operation of the trainpropelling motor control. I do not desire, therefore, to be limited orrestricted in respect to the manner of utilizing the completion of thesignal circuit in its relation to the operation of the t'ain propellingmotors.

I also propose, in accordance with my invention, to equip the front edgeof each door with a safety shoe-device so arranged as to yield towardsthe door in case the door, in its closing movements, encounters anobstruction, as well as when the door attains its final closed andlocked position,

by said shoe pressing again-st the door jain I also provide the safetyshoe with a handle by means of which said shoe may be collapsed or movedtowards and relative to the door. And I utilize the movement of thesafety shoe on each door towards and relative to the door, in whatevermanner such movement is effected, to release or disconnect thatparticular door from its power actuated moving mechanism so that thedoor is no longer subject to the action of said power actuated movingmechanism and is free to be manually shoved or moved to wards openposition. As soon, however, as the encountered obstruction is removed,in case the safety shoe has been depressed by such an obstruction, andthe shoe is permitted to return to its normal position relative to theedge of the door, the engagement to the power actuated mechanism isreestablished and the door resumes its closing movement, IVhen the doorattains its completely closed position the shoe is depressed by the doorjamb, and the door is disconnected from its actuating mechanism and thedoor lock comes into action to securely lock the door against openingmovement.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a simple, practical andillustrative arrangement embodying the principles of my inventionwherein I mount on each car of a train a single motor 6, see Fig. 1, toactuate all the doors of the car. The motor 6 drives a shaft 7, throughsuitable gearing 8, which shaft extends transversely across the car. Itwill be found convenient to locate the motor 6 and the shaft 7, at oneend of the car and in the top of the car beneath the car roof. A.sprocket wheel 9, is mounted on shaft 7 at each end thereof, and anendless sprocket chain 10, extends along each side of the car endengages over and is driven by the sprocket wheel 9, said chainsoperating over guide rollers 11 at the far end of the car, and, ifdesired, one or more intermediate idlers.

Each door 12, is supported by means of one or more suitably positionedrollers 13, operating upon a track 1 1, carried by the frame work of thecar body. The door hanger rollers 13 are carried by bracket 15, securedto the door. Also carried by the bracket 15 is a sprocket wheel 16 towhich is securely fastened a friction wheel 17. A friction brake device18 is arranged to engage the friction wheel 17. A convenientarrangen'ient is shown, to which, however, I do not desire to be limitedor restricted, wherein the brake device 18 consists of two armspivotally mounted upon the bracket 15 and disposed to partially embraceor clamp the periphery of the friction wheel 17 between them. A tensionspring 19 connecting the free ends of said arms serves to yieldinglydraw said ends together to cause said arms to exert a braking action onthe friction wheel-17,. The free ends of: the brake device arms areconnected by means of toggle connections indicated-at 20, to a rod 21,which is carried by links 22 ,Qpiv-.

chilly mounted at the front edge of the door, and disposed within thesafety shoe device in such relation thatwhen the shoe. '23. is

collapsed upon or moved towards thedoor, the rod 21 isv moved GIIClWlSB.upwardly. and laterally towards. the edge of the: door there.-

byI actuating the toggle connections 20', to-

separate orforce apartthe free ends of the brake arms, 18, therebyreleasing the friction on, friction wheel 1?, and permitting thesprocket 16. to. freely ITGVOlVG. When the shoe :43; resumes itsnormally distended posi tion the i the sprocket wheel 16. isagain lockedagainst rotation. 01 11 .11.- of the endless sprocket chain 10, de-

pending, upon. the direction in whichthei door is to. be moved, is madevto engage the.

sprocket 16.. lid Then the sprocket wheel 16. is held against rotationbythe application of ihe b ke device: to the-friction wheel 17, the act,

one or the other legor run of the endless sprocket chain engages thesprocket wheel Since it is. a cc-mmon'practice to. employ doors, such ascentre-entrance doors, made in sections which move in relativelyopposite. directions, it will be seen that. the. arrange ment abovedescri-bediis well adapted to such practice. the doors at opposite'endsofthe. car, while usually open in opposite directions, are also.-

taken care of in this arrangement. *ach safety shoe device 231s providedwith a handle 25 by meansof whichlsaid, shoe may be collapsed ordepressed manually ulieneverdesired to disconnect the. door from its.power driven. actuating mechanism. When any door is disconnected fromits power driven actuating mechanism it-may l-e easily and readilyshoved or moved to open position by hand. unless it. has-been loc ed inits. fully closed position, in which it cannot be moved until the lockis re- ...lmple arrangement of. lock isshown in Fig. whereina magnet 26,when energized, actnates a locking lever 27. This lever is so iii-i2: edas to engage behind the rear edge of the door when in its fully closedposition. to pi'jei'ent the door from being opened, said 16W? being?1101111111131 pressed towards it locking position in any-suitable orconvenieiit manner, as by means of spring 28, .The (1.. b. whichincludes themagnet also is to .include. say, all thelock magnets on=the'same side of his car and is to be under the control of, for instance,the motorman. llach loci: device also controls a switch 30 22. todeviceisaga'in applied and Either theupper orthe. lower leg simple. tinyof the sprocket chain 10 by the motor. 6- will cause the doorto. moveto, the light or to the left according to. whether the Similarly, itwill be apparent that i a circuit 0,;5, in such manner as. to closesaidcirc'uitat'the lock device-only when the. v

This circuit maybe called thesignal circuit and it. likewise-containsa'switch, 30Qwhich is controlled; by each lock. device, and alsoextends.

lock lever-is in. looking position.

to the cab of the motorman to indicate, or control,.when closed theproper or safe. op, elation the train propelling: motors. as aboveexplained. Of course it will be. seen that this series signal circuit isnot closed until all the doors are closed and locked. This. is.-anfimportant safety feature. of my invention}. v

The structure. arrangement and operation of the look devices and theirassociateds gznal circuit controlling switches may be ale.

tered and varied throughout a wide range 20fdetailswithout departure.from the spirit I do. not'de.

and scope of my invention. sire, therefore, to be limited or, restrictedto the. exact structure and arrangement shown;

ii-The. operation of the apparatusis very his v train, a station hecloses the circuit When the train motorman stops.

of the locks. for all. the. doorsgo'n. that side V of the car or carswhichgisadjacent the star. tion or platform, thereby unlocking all thedoors on that side but leaving all the doors on the otherv side securelylocked. Passengers desiring to enter or leave. the. car can then graspthe handle 25, one of which may be on the inside and another on. the.outsideof the car, of any particular door which. may. thereby be freelyshifted or moved towards. open position After a prestance, fifteenseconds, the motorman will close the circuit of all the motors 6. and.

at the same time-openv the circuit of all the lock magnets on'the.sideof the train adjacent the station or platform. All doors which havebeen opened are thereupon imthen besafely operated to proceed on itstrip, andthe motorman may then open the circuit of the motors 6.

Many adaptations, variations and changes in details may readily occur topersons skilled in the art and still 'fall within the. spirit and scopeof my invention. I do not desire, therefore, to, be limited: orrestricted to the exactdetails shown and described.

determined interval of time, say, for iniito For example, it willreadily be understood that means may be provided, in conjunction withthe system'of my invention, for automatically opening and maintainingopen the circuits of either or both the door locking magnets and thedoor motors, while the car is in motion. Such arrangements, and manyothers of similar nature and adaptability, are well recognized, and arebeing used in the art, and per-se form no part of my present invention.

Further, as above stated, many structural changes will readily suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art. For example in Fig. 6 I haveshown a greatly simplified arrangement wherein the door shoe, whencollapsed, rocks a lever 40 one end of which is provided with sprocketteeth 44; yieldingly retained in mesh with the sprocket chain 10, by aspring 45. The lever 40 is rotatively journaled at 42 in the bracket 15,and may engage either the upper or lower chain, according to whichdirection it is desired to move the door, as clearly shown.

Further, if desired, and as shown as illustrative in Fig. 6, any desirednumber of rollers, idlers or the like 43 may be utilized for insuringproper connection beteween the sprocket chain and the door actuator.

Further, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to have thedoor lock circuit construed to apply to all doors on each side of thecar or train but rather to all doors, which are suitable for use at anycertain station, for example, in interurban systems a train might havesome doors for use with elevated platforms or stations and some doorsopening ontosteps where the station platform is on the level of theground. In such a system all the elevated doors on one side might havetheir locks included in one circuit, and all the doors with steps mighthave their looks on another circuit, and therefore only the doorssuitable for use at any predetermined type of station would be unlockedat any station stop. I therefore desire to have it understood that inthe claims the expressions employed to define the plurality of doors areemployed with the purpose of including the foregoing arrangement as wellas the others hereinbefore described unless otherwise specificallystated.

But having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention and anarrangement embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new anduseful, and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is,

1. In a unit door control mechanism, the combination with a plurality ofdoors, of a single operating motor therefor, and means controlled. byany door encountering an obstruction in closing for releasing said doorfrom its connection with said motor.

2. In a unit door control mechanism, a plurality of doors, a singlemotor, devices actuated thereby and common to all the doors for movingthem, releasable connections intermediate each door and said motoractuated devices, and means carried by each door to control saidreleasable connections.

8. In a unit door control mechanism, a plurality of doors, a singlemotor, devices actuated thereby and common to all the doors for movingthem, releasable connections intermediate each door and said motoractuated devices, and means carried by each door to control saidreleasable connections.

4. In a unit door control mechanism, a plurality of doors, a singlemotor for operating all of them, a safety shoe mounted at the front edgeof each door, and means operated by the movement towards the door of theshoe on any door for releasing said door from its actuating connectionswith the motor without affecting the actuating connections of any otherof the doors.

5. In a unit door control mechanism, a plurality of doors, a singlemotor for operating all of them, a safety shoe mounted at the front edgeof each door, and means operated by the movement towards the door of theshoe on any door for releasing said door from its actuating connectionswith the motor without affecting the actuating connections of any otherof the doors, and means for securing each door in its closed position.

6. In a unit door control mechanism, a plurality of doors, an actuatingmember operating past all of said doors, a single motor to drive saidmember, means carried by each door to engage said actuating member, anda safety shoe device carried by the free edge of each door andoperating,

to drive said chain, a movable member carried by each door and engagedby said chain, a brake device for said movable member, and a safety shoeat the front edge of each door, to control said brake device.

8. In a door control mechanism for cars, trains or the like, thecombination with a plurality of doors, a door actuating motor, andunitary means controlled by said motor for actuating all of said doorson one side of said car, train or the like.

9. In a door control mechanism for cars, trains or the like, thecombination with a plurality of doors, a door actuating motor, andcommon means controlled by said motor for actuating all of aid doorsonone side oi": said car train or the like to close the same.

10. In a door control mechanism for cars, trains or the like, thecombination with a plurality of doors, a door actuating motor, meanscontrolled by said motor for actuating :11 of said doors to close thesame, and means for rendering said motor controlled means inoperative asto any door when such door in closing encounters an obstruction.

11. In a unit door control mechanism, the

combination with a plurality of doors, of a single operating motortherefor, and means controlled by any door encountering an obstructionin closing for releasing said door from its connection with said motorand for automatically connecting said door with the motor when theobstruction has been removed.

12. In a door control an actuating motor, means controlled by saidmechanism, a door,

motor for actuating the door, means for rendering said motor controlledmeans inoperative as to the door without affecting the operation of themotor when the door in closing encounters an obstruction, and means foragain rendering the motor controlled means operative when theobstruction is removed.

13. In a door control mechanism, a door, an actuating motor, meanscontrolled by said motor ior actuating the door, a collapsible shoecarried on the front edge of the door, means for rendering said motorcontrolled means inoperative as to the door without affecting theoperation of the motor when said shoe is collapsed, and means for againrendering the motor controlled means operative when the shoe is againextended.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 1st day of Jtrue A. D. 1921.

HAROLD ROWNTREE-

